Tag Archives: receiving

Bruno (1030–1101) was educated in Paris and Rheims, France. He was ordained in 1055. He taught theology, and one of his students later became Blessed Pope Urban II. He presided over the cathedral school at Rheims from 1057 to 1075. He criticised the worldliness he saw in his fellow clergy. He opposed Manasses, Archbishop of Rheims, because of his laxity and mismanagement. He was chancellor of the Archdiocese of Rheims.

Following a vision he received of a secluded hermitage where he could spend his life becoming closer to God, he retired to a mountain near Chartreuse in Dauphiny in 1084 and with the help of St. Hugh of Grenoble, he founded what became the first house of the Carthusian Order. He and his brothers supported themselves as manuscript copyists.

He became assistant to Pope Urban in 1090, and supported his efforts at reform. Retiring from public life, he and his companions built a hermitage at Torre where the monastery of Saint Stephen was built in 1095. Bruno combined in the religious life living as a hermit and living in a community; his learning is apparent from his scriptural commentaries.

– Patron Saint Index

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Galatians 3:1-5

Are you people in Galatia mad? Has someone put a spell on you, in spite of the plain explanation you have had of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? Let me ask you one question: was it because you practised the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you? Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit? Have all the favours you received been wasted? And if this were so, they would most certainly have been wasted. Does God give you the Spirit so freely and work miracles among you because you practise Law, or because you believed what was preached to you?

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Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

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For the one who asks always receives.

‘Just ask.’ This two-word sentence from one of my managers previously had a great impact in my life. In the corporate setting, he encouraged us to ask for favors, to ask for what we need, to ask for what we do not know and to ask for anything. There was no guarantee that we would receive what we asked for, but he guaranteed that by simply asking, we were creating an opportunity to get what we wanted.

Not everyone finds it easy to ask. Before I got comfortable asking, I was always afraid of rejection. What if the person I asked says, ‘No’? This fear of being refused has closed many doors in my life. Sometimes, I also wouldn’t bother asking if I thought I knew what the answer to my request would be. If my boss had said ‘yes’ to a similar proposal three months back, what would make me think he would say ‘yes’ now? I went on to assume what his response would be.

I think in our lives, we sometimes take the same approach to asking God. We do not ask God because we are afraid to be rejected. We don’t ask God because we assume what His answer would be. Let us keep in mind that God never rejects us. He rejects our wishes that could be harmful to us. Sometimes, we also do not know the will of God. That’s why we need to ask. We need to ask whether it’s a ‘yes’, a ‘no’ or a ‘wait awhile.’

We always receive His love. We receive His love when He answers ‘yes’ to our request because it is good for us. We receive His love when He says ‘no’ to our request because that is good for us. We receive His love when He says ‘wait awhile’ to our request because that is good for us.

There is no reason to be afraid or to hesitate to ask God. We can’t assume what God’s answer will be, but we can be certain that we’ll never be rejected. For whatever we ask for, we will always receive God’s love.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)

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Prayer: Dear Lord, let me not be afraid to come and ask you for all the things in my life – for the big things happening in my life, and even for the ‘trivial’ things happening in my life.

Thanksgiving: I thank you Lord, for always giving the best answer to all my questions. And for always loving me, and welcoming me, and never getting tired of hearing what I ask.

‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.

‘I have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”’

When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

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John 17:11-19

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,keep those you have given me true to your name,so that they may be one like us.While I was with them,I kept those you had given me true to your name.I have watched over themand not one is lostexcept the one who chose to be lost,and this was to fulfil the scriptures.But now I am coming to youand while still in the world I say these thingsto share my joy with them to the full.I passed your word on to them,and the world hated them,because they belong to the worldno more than I belong to the world.I am not asking you to remove them from the world,but to protect them from the evil one.They do not belong to the worldany more than I belong to the world.Consecrate them in the truth;your word is truth.As you sent me into the world,I have sent them into the world,and for their sake I consecrate myselfso that they too may be consecrated in truth.’

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“There is more happiness in giving than in receiving”

Reflecting upon the readings from today, the phrase above just really stood out for me. This especially in a world that has become so transactional – even when it comes to love. Before “investing” in something or a relationship, we need to ensure we are able to benefit. We need to be able to receive far more and be better off than without.

We also see this in our communities, whether we give feedback or even complain when our expectations/standards are not met. But how many of us have even contributed before we shoot away about how we haven’t received enough? Society has influenced us in such a way where giving can only happen after we have received.

Only when I have enough money, life is stable, and so I will then start supporting charities. Only when I’m the best in my field will I then consider helping others in their work. Unless you trust me, I won’t trust you. Unless I’ve seen a sign will I then believe that You are real?

Those are some of the things we might have thought of before or even mentioned to others. But the reality is if everyone simply just waits to receive, we are not going to receive anything if no one actually gives.

I am a firm believer of the statement above that giving in itself is a blessing. In order to give, we are already given. A change in mind set but a whole new different outlook on our own lives as a whole. Happiness can’t be bought. Happiness in a way is a choice. What we want versus what we need. If we already have what we need, why aren’t we happy? If we have attained what we wanted, why aren’t we happy? We desire more. The happiness that we have experienced may have only been temporary. Hence we continue to go on this search to find a happiness, but not yet realise what is the eternal happiness that we are searching for.

For me, it’s about making others happy. Knowing that I can make a difference in the lives of others. Giving. Not for anything in return but because I have already been given to. There is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Are we ready to give?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Benjamin Mao)

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to see by Your example, by the giving of Your son, Jesus Christ. Give us the wisdom to see beyond materialism and to realise what is it we are in search of. Give us courage to be givers, not just of money and material goods, but givers of life and love. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to You for giving Jesus’ life for us on the cross and eventually by Your giving of the Holy Spirit. In that, we have already been given.